Wednesday 3 February 2010 - Treatment Day 36

It was a really long and tiring today at hospital. I didn't want to go again today. I had woken up at 7am and grandma had made me omelettes for breakfast but when I heard I was going to hospital I went back to bed to lie down. But mum woke me up. She said I won't need to go on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays but I have to go in today because it is Wednesday.

First we had to see Dr Goon, the paediatric surgeon who will operate on me and insert my chemoport for me. He said there were 2 types, one with lines hanging out, and one which is hidden under the skin. Mum said we'll get the one hidden under the skin. I will be able to shower and swim with it. He said the one with lines hanging out is also prone to infections because it is outside. But he said that with the hidden one, I still need to be pricked a little bit, but with a teeny tiny needle.

When I heard that, I told him I didn't really want to wear anything on my chest but mum said the chemoport means that I won't need to have a canula inserted in my hand each time I need chemo through an IV. They can also take blood from my chemoport.

Dr Goon said he's free on Friday, so I'll need to have a blood test done on Thursday. If my counts are ok, then I can have the operation done on Friday.

After that we went to see Dr Sofiah for my legs. She is a paediatric neurologist. But when we arrived at her clinic, her staff said that Dr Lin had arrived at the chemo daycare and was waiting for me. He was in really early today, at 11am. So we had to go to the old building, as Dr Goon and Dr Sofiah's clinics are in the new one.

Dr Lin gave me my Ara-C through my canula. I told him I didn't want any injections today. He said he wasn't going to give me any. He asked mum if my legs had improved or worsened or were the same. She said they were about the same.

The nurses also took my temperature twice. Mum said my body felt really hot today. But my temperature was normal. The nurses said it could be because of the chemo drugs inside my body.

After that we went back to Dr Sofiah's clinic. We had to wait a really long time. I was really hungry and bored. I was extremely unhappy. When we finally got to see her, she checked my legs and made me walk and do some squats. She gave me some Vitamin B complex and Neurobion (Vitamins B1, B6 and B12). Mum was not very excited about more tablets for me to take.

Then I got sent to do a blood test to see if my potassium levels were ok. Sometimes if you don't have enough potassium in your body, you have problems with your legs too, she said. Or it might be the Vincristine chemo which is known to cause nerve damage in some patients. It is called Peripheral Neuropathy. You can read more about it here:

http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/about-cancer/cancer-questions/nerve-damage-and-chemotherapy

When we went to the blood lab, I was so hungry that I had three packs of rice crackers. Mum asked if they could take my blood through my canula but the man at the blood lab said no. He felt sorry for me though because I got upset so he just pricked my finger instead of using a needle to take blood from the inside of my arm. It took a long time though because he needed to fill up two tubes. I made quite a lot of noise.

After that I had to do something called a nerve conduction study. A nice lady washed my feet and put some wires and stuff on them. She told mum it would be painful because they conduct electricity through the wires to see whether the nerves in my feet were working properly. Mum made a face. The test took a really long time. But I didn't say anything or cry. Mum asked the lady if I could feel the electricity. She said I could. Mum said I was really brave.

After that I was really hungry so I had rice, fries, sausages, fried chicken and Milo at the hospital cafeteria.

When we got back, I said I really wanted to make the ice cream cookies today so grandma helped me make them. Mum said they were really really absolutely delicious. She ate quite a lot of them. I only ate one. Then I asked grandma to make me some omelettes. And I tried cornflakes with milk for the first time. I normally don't like cornflakes. I had two helpings.

I was really tired so I had some milk in my new WeeGo Life Factory bottle and then I went to bed. It was 6pm. Aunty Carolina popped by after that to drop off some really pretty heart-shaped cookie moulds for me and some stainless steel tongs for my favourite spaghetti, as well as my favourite yoghurt and my favourite sushi rice. She also got me my favourite toasted bread from CoffeeBean. I used to have breakfast at CoffeeBean every Saturday after my violin classes. But I've stopped going for violin this year. Mum says maybe I can go again in one or two months once I feel a little bit better.

I woke up at 10pm because I was hungry. Dad made me some fried eggs. I also ate the sushi rice aunty Carolina bought for me. I played for a bit on my Wii. I haven't played with it in a long time.

QOTD: "When I feel better, I want to go to Sunway Lagoon."

Today's bill: RM622.04 (Dr Sofiah)